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Wonder
Why?
Prolotherapy & Connective
Tissue Damage Syndrome:
Why am I hurting, and no one seems to know what is
wrong?
Mark L. Johnson, MD, FACS
Many joint and connective tissue pains defy clear and
precise diagnosis. Often patients with various diagnoses
for joint, back and neck pain are not cured by traditional
treatment regimes appropriate for their “diagnosis”.
Based on observations gleaned from treatment
responses to Prolotherapy, the author describes and
characterizes the Connective Tissue Damage Syndrome.
When properly understood, the CTDS explains not
only many body pains, undiagnosed conditions, and
treatment failures, but also many muscular
malfunctions (spasms, weakness, trigger points, etc.),
and referred symptoms such as pain, numbness,
tingling, and headaches. The results of Prolotherapy
treatment in patients with these disorders suggest
that pathological change in ligaments (CTDS) is the
underlying cause of these disorders. Prolotherapy is
the most rational and effective treatment for both the
underlying cause (ligament damage), and secondary
degenerative effects.
The body is capable of healing damaged connective
tissue structures, but certain hormone deficiencies
and medical treatments such as anti-inflammatories
prevent this. Once connective tissue damage syndrome
is correctly diagnosed, then treatment is rightly focused
on initiating and optimizing connective tissue healing.
Since incomplete connective tissue healing can be
principally due to either a trauma mechanism, or due
to impairment of the body’s connective tissue healing
system, the integrity of the healing system must be
evaluated, and factors that impair connective tissue
healing must be identified and addressed. These
factors explain why many people with CTDS see their
disease worsen over time, while under medical care.
Patients who present with significant impairment of
the connective tissue healing system are described,
varying from “multisite connective tissue pain without
trauma history” to full-blown fibromyalgia. Principles for
successful treatment for the CTDS are described.
Journal
of Prolotherapy. 2009;1:45-53.
KEYWORDS: connective tissue damage syndrome, ligament injury,
Prolotherapy. |
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